Transforming Alberta's Healthcare System: The Case for Continuing Care Infrastructure Investment
Mar 24, 2025
Alberta’s continuing care system is at a critical turning point. As the province’s population ages rapidly—projected to surpass 1.2 million seniors by 2046—there is an urgent need to reimagine how care is delivered and where it takes place. The Alberta Continuing Care Association (ACCA) has released a new Capital Infrastructure Position Paper, outlining a bold, evidence-based path to modernize Alberta’s continuing care infrastructure and strengthen the foundation for a more efficient, person-centered healthcare system.
A Vision for Person-Centered, Sustainable Care
The paper highlights how strategic capital investments can reduce pressure on hospitals, enhance care delivery in the community, and ensure that seniors receive care in the right place at the right time. ACCA emphasizes that modernizing facilities, improving access, and updating funding models are essential steps toward building a sustainable system that keeps pace with the growing and evolving needs of Albertans.
Key Recommendations
Developed with direct input from continuing care operators across the province, the paper offers nine core recommendations, including:
- Honouring past funding commitments to resume momentum on essential capital projects.
- Creating a structured, multi-year capital plan aligned with Alberta’s broader investment strategy.
- Separating capital and operational funding to improve transparency and sustainability.
- Introducing a single-entry system and year-round RFP process for simpler, faster access to capital grants.
- Ensuring fair and equitable funding for both rural and urban communities, and across different care models.
The paper also calls for increased flexibility in implementing the 2023 Continuing Care Design Standards and better integration between hospitals and continuing care providers to reduce hospital congestion and improve transitions of care.
A Call for Collaboration
This is an opportunity to not only expand and modernize facilities but also to create an integrated, future-focused system that ensures Albertans receive the best possible care in the most appropriate setting. ACCA and its members are committed to collaborating with the Government of Alberta to implement these strategic solutions and build a stronger, more sustainable, and forward-thinking continuing care system that meets Alberta’s long-term healthcare needs.